In October and November 2024, the RDM-Team of the University of Potsdam hosts a series of online events on FAIR and Open research output.
This events series addresses researchers who want to improve their research data management (RDM) and Open Science (OS) practices and discuss current approaches to good scientific practice.
The events series is open to all researchers and interested members of the University of Potsdam as well as researchers and RDM/OS experts from other institutions.
If you have any questions regarding the events or are interested in presenting your work on a related RDM/OS topic as part of this events series, please contact the organizer (daniela.mertzen@uni-potsdam.de).
OnlineCoffee Lecture: Please register here. You will receive the Zoom link after registering for the event.
A brief introduction to FAIR and Open Data
Abstract: This coffee lecture will give a brief overview on how to make your research data more Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Resuable. This event benefits researchers who are planning to make their research data available to others but don’t quite know where to start. After a short introduction, there will be time to discuss your questions, concerns and challenges.
This coffee lecture is a ‚teaser‘ to a more in-depth two-part workshop (How to) Make Research Data FAIRer, offered through the Potsdam Graduate School (PoGS) and taught by the research data management team of the UP.
Speaker: Dr. Daniela Mertzen (Research Data Management Team, Project IN-FDM-BB, University of Potsdam)
Audience: Researchers, anyone interested in this subject
Language: English. Questions/discussion can be in English and German.
Online Talk: Please register here. You will receive the BigBlueButton link after registering for this event.
Combatting Software-Driven Environmental Harm With Free Software
Abstract: Digital technology is a major contributor to environmental harm, whether in the ‚tsunami‘ of e-waste filling landfills or the CO2 emissions currently on a par with with aviation industry.
Oft overlooked is that software plays a crucial role. For instance, software bloat means less powerful hardware may stop working and end up as toxic waste in landfills, while new devices are manufactured unnecessarily — the production of which costs far more energy than their actual usage. Moreover, software bloat and inefficient coding result in software that has higher energy demands, sometimes only to achieve the same output. Digital sustainability is in many ways a question of software.
The Blue Angel ecolabel, the official environmental label of the German government, began certifying software in 2020. In the award criteria, sustainability is closely linked with transparency and user autonomy. This connection has been one of the motivations behind the KDE Eco initiative since its beginning in 2021. In this talk I will present the environmental harm driven by software, with a focus on e-waste and energy consumption. I will link the values of Free and Open Source software to sustainable software design.
If you are interested in this workshop, we invite you to join our in-person Bring it back to life – Upcycling Workshop on Friday, 18th October in Berlin (see below). You will receive more information at the end of the online talk. If you have any further questions regarding the follow-up event, you can email Joseph (joseph@kde.org).
Speaker: Dr. Joseph P. De Veaugh-Geiss (KDE e.V. Eco Project & Community Manager)
Audience: Researchers, anyone interested in this subject
Language: Presentation in English. Questions/discussion can be in English and German.
In-Person Workshop: Please register here. This evening event will take place in Berlin-Neukölln. The maximum number of participants is 20. You will be notified whether we can offer you a space for this event as soon as possible.
Bring it back to life – Upcycling Workhop (in person, Berlin)
Abstract: This is a companion workshop to the presentation „Combatting Software-Driven Environmental Harm With Free Software“, which will be held online on Wednesday, 16th October (see above).
At this in-person workshop, you will learn how to install independent, sustainable, Free & Open Source Software. It is entirely beginner friendly, you only need to be able to turn on your computer. Please bring your own device. This can be a laptop that is no longer supported by the original vendor (e.g., Apple, Microsoft), in which case you will bring it back to life with an up-to-date, secure GNU/Linux system. Or you can install GNU/Linux operating on a newer laptop so that you are able to use your device until the hardware stops working, and not until software support ends. It is also possible to run GNU/Linux alongside an existing operating system (called „dual booting“), should you want to keep the original software.
IMPORTANT: make a backup of any data you want to keep before the event.
Speaker: Dr. Joseph P. De Veaugh-Geiss (KDE e.V. Eco Project & Community Manager)
Audience: Researchers, anyone interested in this subject
Language: Presentation in English. Questions/discussion can be in English and German.
Online Coffee Lecture and workshop: Please register here. You will receive the Zoom link after registering for the event.
Study preregistration and Registered Reports
Abstract: Registering a study’s hypothesis, design, methods and analysis plan prior to conducting the study increases the transparency of your research and can reduce biases and questionable research practices. This coffee lecture introduces the Open Science practice of preregistration, the motivation behind it and how to preregister work in a repository (without peer review) or a journal (with peer review).
After the introduction, a hands-on workshop is available to researchers who want to get started with preregistering their work. For this purpose, we will use a preregistration template on the Open Science Framework (OSF). There will be time to discuss your questions, concerns and any challenges you are currently facing.
Speakers:
Yana Arkhipova (doctoral student, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, University of Potsdam)
Dr. Daniela Mertzen (Research Data Management Team, Project IN-FDM-BB, University of Potsdam)
Audience: Researchers, anyone planning to preregister their research
All-day online event: Please register for some or all events below.
Reproducibility of Research Output
Session 1 – Online Talks
Registration: Please register here for the talks. You will receive the Zoom link after registering for the event.
9 – 10 AM
Perceived Barriers to Open Science among Researchers
Abstract: Open Science principles are generally well-received by researchers, but not everyone may adhere to them despite the perceived benefits. We explore why researchers perceive limitations to open science and highlight variations across different research fields.
Speaker: Dr. Christian Riedel (SFB 1294 Data Assimilation: Project Z03 Information Infrastructure for Data Assimilation, University of Potsdam)
The reproducibility of findings in linguistics and psychology: Where are we now, and how do we move forward?
Abstract: In 2019 the Journal of Memory and Language instituted an open data and code policy; this policy requires that, as a rule, code and data be released at the latest upon publication. How effective is this policy? We compared 59 papers published before, and 59 papers published after, the policy took effect. After the policy was in place, the rate of data sharing increased by more than 50%. We further looked at whether papers published under the open data policy were reproducible. The reproducibility rate ranged from 34% to 56%, depending on the reproducibility criteria. The strongest predictor of whether an attempt to reproduce would be successful is the presence of the analysis code: it increases the probability of reproducing reported results by almost 40%. We propose two simple steps that can increase the reproducibility of published papers: share the analysis code, and attempt to reproduce one’s own analysis using only the shared materials.
Speaker: Dr. Anna Laurinavichyute (SFB 1287 Limits of Variability in Language: Project Q Scientific Service and Infrastructure Project, University of Potsdam)
Audience: Researchers, anyone interested in this subject
Language: English
Session 2 – Online Workshop
Registration: Please register here for this workshop. You will receive the Zoom link after registering for the event. The maximum number of participants for this event is 50. You will be notified whether we can offer you a space for this event as soon as possible.
10.15 AM – 12.15 PM
Reproducibility in Scientific Publications
Abstract: Reproducibility is one of the fundamentals of scientific results, yet we sometimes don’t follow agreed-upon best practices. In the early 2010s, this led to a reproducibility crisis that shook the core of psychology and medicine and led to a much stronger awareness and – in some fields – regulation. We will take a closer look on how reproducibility is achieved when data and code are involved and how we can implement best practices in our own publications.
Speaker: Hendrik Geßner (Team ‘Operation Applications’ (Lead), Center for Information Technology and Media Management, University of Potsdam)
Audience: Researchers, anyone interested in this subject
Language: English
Session 3 – Online Workshop
Registration: Please register here for this workshop. The maximum number of participants for this event is 20. You will be notified whether we can offer you a space for this event as soon as possible.
1 – 3 PM
FAIR Software and Containerization by NFDIxCS
Abstract: Research software is a critical issue in almost every research discipline. Creating software for research requires not only methods from the research discipline but also skills in software engineering. This time-consuming process often leaves little room to make the software accessible and usable before submitting a paper, thesis, or completing a project, resulting in the loss of valuable scientific contributions. In our hands-on workshop, we will showcase techniques to enhance the reproducibility of your research software at any project stage. Participants will learn about the benefits of containerization for computational work and how reproducible software with metadata can open up their work to the broader research community. The NFDIxCS consortium focuses on the development of a Research Data Management Container (RDMC), which involves containerizing software along with its data and context. Beyond this workshop, we will also provide insights into current discussions around metadata applications, long-term archiving, and addressing security/privacy concerns in RDMCs. While primarily designed for practitioners, this workshop is also valuable for senior scientists interested in understanding these essential processes.
Speaker: Jan Bernoth (Team ‘Institutionelle Infrastrukturen’ (Lead) at the Chair for Complex Multimedia Application Architectures, Researcher in NFDIxCS, PhD Candidate, University of Potsdam)
Audience: Researchers, anyone interested in this subject
Two-part online event: Please register for some or all events below.
Open Access, research data publication & data and software licenses
Session 1 – Online lecture
Registration: Please register here. You will receive the Zoom link after registering for the event.
12 – 1.30 PM
Open Access and research data publication
Abstract: This workshop will discuss different open access publication methods (primary and secondary publication) as well as their benefits and requirements. Many journals and funding bodies now also require the publication of research data. In this talk, we will also discuss different ways to publish research data and why it is a good idea.
Some (but not all) questions addressed in this talk will be UP-specific, e.g., this talk provides information about the available (financial) support at the University of Potsdam for Open Access publications. There will be time for questions and discussion at the end of this session. We invite you to bring along your questions. For example, we will have time to answer questions such as “Which steps do I have to take to publish my (cumulative) doctoral dissertation at the University of Potsdam?”
Speakers:
Dr. Jan Hagedoorn (Deputy Head of Research and Publication Support, Subject Librarian, Open Access, University library, University of Potsdam)
Dr. Daniela Mertzen (Research Data Management Team, Project IN-FDM-BB, University of Potsdam)
Session 2 – Online lecture
Registration: Please register here. You will receive the Zoom link after registering for the event.
2 – 3.30 PM
Licensing Research Data and Software
Abstract: In this workshop, we will explore how to license research data and software. We will emphasize the importance of distinguishing between the two and choosing appropriate licenses, especially when combining different data or software sets.
Speaker: Dr. Christian Riedel (SFB 1294 Data Assimilation: Project Z03 Information Infrastructure for Data Assimilation, University of Potsdam)
